Valves

ABSTRACT

A valve which provides an inlet port and two outlet ports is controlled by a valve member which adjusts the two outlet ports so that the sum of their effective areas is constant for all settings of the valve. The valve member is adjusted by a fluid pressure responsive device comprising a bellows or diaphragm which is disposed in a chamber and which is connected to the valve member by an actuating rod. Pressure fluid at a control pressure is applied in the chamber. Movement of the rod by the bellows or diaphragm in response to an increase of pressure in the chamber is resisted by a spring. A stop limits movement of the rod due to the spring force.

[451 Oct. 9, 1973 1 VALVES [75] lnventor: John Alfred Lipscombe, Ashford,

England [73] Assignee: Walton Engineering Company Limited, London, England 22 Filed: Apr. 3, 1972 [211 App]. No.: 240,724

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 3,373,771 3/1968 Boyen 137/610 X 3,380,475 4/1968 Armstrong 137/609 3,384,116 5/1968 Fedoseev et a1. 137/609 3,486,731 12/1969 Magnani et 251/61 X 3,545,470 12/1970 Paton 137/610 X 3,625,249 12/1971 Karr 137/609 X Primary Examiner-Samuel Scott Attorney-E. F. Wenderoth et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A valve which provides an inlet port and two outlet ports is controlled by a valve member which adjusts the two outlet ports so that the sum of their effective areas is constant for all settings of the valve. The valve member is adjusted by a fluid pressure responsive device comprising a bellows or diaphragm which is disposed in a chamber and which is connected to the valve member by an actuating rod. Pressure fluid at a control pressure is applied in the chamber. Movement of the rod by the bellows or diaphragm in response to an increase of pressure in the chamber is resisted by a spring. A stop limits movement of the rod clue to the spring force.

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VALVES This invention relates to valves.

According to this invention there is provided a valve having a valve body providing'an inlet port and two outlet ports, and a valve member mounted in the valve body for rotation to vary the effective areas of the two outlets in such a manner that the total effective area of the two outlets is substantially constant for all positions of the valve member, and a fluid pressure responsive device comprising an actuating rod connected to adjust the rotational position of the valve member, a hollow body part having mounted therein a bellows or flexible diaphragm connected between the valve body and the rod for moving the rod to adjust the position of the valve member in accordance with the fluid pressure acting on the bellows or diaphragm, spring means connected to act on the rod in a sense to oppose movement of the rod in response to an increase in the fluid pressure applied to the bellows or diaphragm, and stop means for limiting movement of the rod due to the force of the spring means so as to protect the bellows or diaphragm.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the actuating rod is connected intermediate its ends to the valve member, the fluid pressure responsive device and the spring means acting on opposite ends of the rod.

In one preferred construction according to the invention, a crank is connected to rotate with the valve member and has formed therein a cylindrical recess which extends radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the valve member, the rod extending at right angles to said axis and having a ball-ended projection extending radially thereof into bearing engagement in said recess, the arrangement being such that the projection is nearest to said axis when the valve member is mid-way between its positions in which said outlets are respectively closed.

If desired, the valve member may be acted on by a second fluid pressure responsive device similar to and acting to augment the force of the first said device.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly-sectional elevation of a valve ac,- cording to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on the plane 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an end view in the direction of the arrow 3 in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on the plane 4-4 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 illustrates one application of the illustrated valve.

Referring to the drawings, the valve has a body defining within it a cylindrical chamber 11 which has opening to it three passages 12, 13, 14. Pssages 12, 13

and 14 are angularly offset from each other by 120 about the axis of chamber 11. Passage 12 is the inlet passage and passages 13 and 14 are outlet passages. Bolting flanges 15 are formed on the body at the outer ends of the passages. A rotary valve member 16 is rotatably mounted in chamber 11 and has two arcuate plate elements 17 which are secured diametrically opposite each other on a shaft 19. The elements 17, respectively co-operate with the ports formed where the outlet passage 13 and 14 open to chamber 11, and the shape of these ports is such that the sum of the areas of the ports left uncovered by the plate elements in the same for all rotational positions of the valve member within its range of movement. The circumferential ends of a stop 18 formed on the inner side of the front cover 10a of the body operate to prevent the valve member from moving too far and closing or partly closing the inlet port.

The shaft 19 is carried in bearings in the valve body and one end of the shaft projects from the body and has a crank 20 secured on this projecting end. A cylindrical recess 21 extends radially of the crank and receives in sliding engagement the part-spherical end 22 of a pin 23 which is clamped in a block 24 by pinch-bolts 25. The bolts 25 also serve to pinch the block on to an actuating rod 26 which extends at right angles to the shaft The rod 26 is slidably mounted in bearings 27, 28 in opposite sides 31, 32 of a rigid box-shaped bracket 33 which is formed integrally with the front cover 10a of the valve body 10, the front cover being secured in position on the body by nuts engaged on studs. On the outer faces of sides 31, 32 of the bracket are respectively disposed a pair of springs 35, 36 and a bellows 34 which operate to move the rod 26 lengthwise of itself to control the rotational position of the valve member.

The two springs 35, 36 are coaxial with each other and are seated against a plate 37 which is retained in position by three tie rods 38. Rods 38 are secured by nuts 39 at one end to the side 31 of the bracket (see FIG. 2) and their opposite ends extend through holes in the plate 37 and carry retaining nuts 40 which enable the spring force to be adjusted. The other ends of springs 35, 36 act against a second plate 41 having apertures 42 through which the tie bolts extend, and an insulating cap 43 countersunk into the plate 41 contains a stainless. steel-pad 43a which is abutted by the adjacent end of the actuating rod 26.

The two spring plates 37 and 41 are respectively provided with a central aperture 44 and central threaded hole 45 to enable a bolt (not shown) to be placed to hold the plates 37, 40 together when it is desired to remove the assembly of the plates and springs. It will be understood that the springs may be under considerable compression rendering it dangerous to attempt'removal of the nuts 39 or 40 whilst the assembly is in position on the bracket unless the central bolt is inserted.

The bellows 34 has one rigid end member 47 clamped between a sealed cover 48 and a base part 49 which is located and secured with respect to the side 32 of the bracket. Four bolts 56 secure the cover 48 to the base part 49 and four intermediate bolts 57 secure this assembly to the side 32 of the bracket. The end member 47, ever 48 and base part 49 together form a sealed bellows chamber. The other end member 51 of the bellows provides a socket 52 which receives the other end of the actuating rod 26. A threaded hole is formed in the cover 48 to receive a pipe union for a pipe leading to a fluid conduit.

The illustrated construction is intended for use where the fluid in the conduit is at a pressure which would collapse the bellows if the pressure were not balanced by the force of springs 35, 36.

A distance piece 58 is slidably engaged on the rod 26 between the side 31 of the bracket and the block 24 to limit movement of the rod towards side 31. Movement of the rod 26 in the opposite direction is limited by the end member 51 of the bellows coming into contact with the end of the cover 48.

In one application of tee illustrated valve, referring now to FIG. 5 of the drawings, the valve is arranged to control the supply of coolant water, e.g., sea-water, to a heat exchanger 60. The coolant is pumped through the heat exchanger by a pump 61 and the valve, which is shown at 62, causes part of the cooling water to be recirculated through the pump and the remainder to be withdrawn from the circuit. The withdrawn quantity is made up by a corresponding quantity of coil coolant inducted through an inlet pipe 63 by the pump 61. The refrigerant in a refrigerating circuit 64 passes through the heat exchanger 60 in heat exchange with the coolant, and the pressure of this refrigerant at a selected point in the refrigerating circuit is transmitted to the bellows chamber of the valve to control the position of the valve member and hence the quantity of recirculated coolant. Under conditions of equilibrium the said pressure of the refrigerant is held at a predetermined value.

-lf additonal power is required to operate the valve member, the crank may extend also on the diametrically opposite side of the shaft, the other end part of the crank being operated by a second actuating rod 26 which is controlled by a second control device incorporating spring means and a bellows as shown, so that the operating power is doubled.

I claim:

1. A valve having a valve body providing an inlet port and two outlet ports, a shaft mountd in the valve body for rotary movement and a valve member secured on the shaft for rotary movement therewith to vary the effective areas of the two outlets in such a manner that the total effective area of the two outlets is substantially constant for all positions of the valve member, and a fluid pressure responsive device comprising a bracket secured to the valve body and providing spaced apart side walls, an actuating rod extending at right angles to said shaft and mounted in bearings in said side walls for sliding movement lengthwise of itself, members providing, respectively, a cylindrical socket and a ball engaged in the socket, one of said members being mounted on the shaft and the other of said members being mounted on the actuating rod for adjusting the rotational position of the valve member, a hollow casing part mounted on one ofthe side walls of the bracket at the side thereof remote from the other side wall, a

fluid pressure responsive element mounted in the casing part and connected between the casing part and the rod for moving the rod in accordance with the fluid pressure acting on the element, tie bolts attached to said other side wall of the bracket, a spring'platform carried by the tie bolts and spaced from said other side wall at the side thereof remote from said one of said side walls, a helical compression spring seated on the spring platform and disposed between the platform and said other side wall of the bracket, which spring is connected to act on the rod in a sense to oppose movement of the rod in response to an increase in the fluid pressure applied to the element, and stop means for limiting the movement of the rod due to the force of the spring means.

2. A valve as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a second fluid pressure responsive device similar to and acting on the valve member in a sense to augment the force of the first said device.

3. A valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein said member mounted on the actuating rod is disposed between said walls of the bracket, the fluid pressure responsive element and the spring acting on opposite ends of the rod.

4. A valve as claimed in claim 3 wherein the fluid pressure responsive element comprises a bellows disposed in a sealed chamber provided in the hollow casing part, said chamber being adapted for connection to a source of fluid under pressure, one end of which bellows is sealed round the rod to the face of said side wall remote from the other side wall, the rod extending into the bellows and having its end in abutment with the internal face of the other end of the bellows.

5. A valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein a crank mounted on said shaft has said cylindrical recess formed therein, which recess extends radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft, the rod having a projection extending radially thereof and terminating in said ball which is engaged in said recess, the arrangement being such that the projection is nearest to said axis when the valve member is mid-way between its positions in which said outlets are respectively closed.

6. A valve as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a block mounted on the rod and having pinch bolts, whereby the projection is adjustably clamped in the blockv 7. A valve as claimed in claim 6 wherein the pinch bolts adjustably clamp the block on the rod. 

1. A valve having a valve body providing an inlet port and two outlet ports, a shaft mounted in the valve body for rotary movement and a valve member secured on the shaft for rotary movement therewith to vary the effective areas of the two outlets in such a manner that the total effective area of the two outlets is substantially constant for all positions of the valve member, and a fluid pressure responsive device comprising a bracket secured to the valve body and providing spaced apart side walls, an actuating rod extending at right angles to said shaft and mounted in bearings in said side walls for sliding movement lengthwise of itself, members providing, respectively, a cylindrical socket and a ball engaged in the socket, one of said members being mounted on the shaft and the other of said members being mounted on the actuating rod for adjusting the rotational position of the valve member, a hollow casing part mounted on one of the side walls of the bracket at the side thereof remote from the other side wall, a fluid pressure responsive element mounted in the casing part and connected between the casing part and the rod for moving the rod in accordance with the fluid pressure acting on the element, tie bolts attached to said other side wall of the bracket, a spring platform carried by the tie bolts and spaced from said other side wall at the side thereof remote from said one of said side walls, a helical compression spring seated on the spring platform and disposed between the platform and said other side wall of the bracket, which spring is connected to act on the rod in a sense to oppose movement of the rod in response to an increase in the fluid pressure applied to the element, and stop means for limiting the movement of the rod due to the force of the spring means.
 2. A valve as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a second fluid pressure responsive device similar to and acting on the valve member in a sense to augment the force of the first said device.
 3. A valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein said member mounted on the actuating rod is disposed between said walls of the bracket, the fluid pressure responsive element and the spring acting on opposite ends of the rod.
 4. A valve as claimed in claim 3 wherein the fluid pressure responsive element comprises a bellows disposed in a sealed chamber provided in the hollow casing part, said chamber being adapted for connectiOn to a source of fluid under pressure, one end of which bellows is sealed round the rod to the face of said side wall remote from the other side wall, the rod extending into the bellows and having its end in abutment with the internal face of the other end of the bellows.
 5. A valve as claimed in claim 1 wherein a crank mounted on said shaft has said cylindrical recess formed therein, which recess extends radially with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft, the rod having a projection extending radially thereof and terminating in said ball which is engaged in said recess, the arrangement being such that the projection is nearest to said axis when the valve member is mid-way between its positions in which said outlets are respectively closed.
 6. A valve as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a block mounted on the rod and having pinch bolts, whereby the projection is adjustably clamped in the block.
 7. A valve as claimed in claim 6 wherein the pinch bolts adjustably clamp the block on the rod. 